RUSSIA BUYS MATSON LINER

Chronicle (Levin), 13 May 1947, Page 7

RUSSIA BUYS MATSON LINER

AUCKLAND, May 12. The sale to the Eussian Governmeni of the 20"-year:old Matson liner Matsonia, has been announced. The Matsonia which visited Auckland before the war as the eruise liner Malolo ana during the war as an American transport, will not be handed over to lier new owners until the company's liner Lurline returns to the San FraneiscuHonolulu run later this year. When the liner was built at Philadelphia as tne Malolo, the United States Navy and her owners made an arrangemeut that het design would enable her to be used as an auxiliary cruiser. Because of these service demands the ship was given tne unusual1 proportions of a bean of 85 feet to a length between perpendiculais, of 554 feet. She was also given many subdivisions to make her as near unshikable as was reasonable. Theyps.seiof 17,000 tons gross carried 680 pas-' sengers and her designed speed was 21 knots. The Malolo made many voyages on the San Francisco-Honolulu service with occasional visits to Australia ana New Zealand. She was renamed Mataonia .i,lv^9S^^fli;after^er. war service * ;;$s »y-w^7;Bpnvefted to ' ;ipqaeeti^ie' a^oihxfiddafeq^iv'af % . coat of £106;000/ WkerLV the 'MafiSon Line ein'barked oh.li& 'iarge feeotistraetion' pro* gramme on the Lurline, Mariposa and Monterey, it was considered uneco1: nomical to refit the Matsonia.